Gardening Duties I'll Attend to in May
(Strap on your gardening gloves, ya'll! June's just around the corner, and that means it's damn time to get our summer gardens thriving. Here's a lowdown on what you need to focus on this May for a bloomin' beautiful garden that'll be the envy of the neighborhood.
Tackle Some Garden Maintenance First
First off, let's check if Old Man Winter left any scars on your garden. You'll want to give each irrigation line a once-over, 'cause there's a good chance you mighta nicked a line while weeding or diggin' around earlier this year. Make sure the controller's workin' properly and check each zone. An ear's worth of attention will help you catch any leaks or hissing sounds.
If you use a hose bib setup, give it the once-over too. The early heatwave on the west coast this spring means our irrigation kicks off earlier than ever before. Remember, for plants in full sun, water in the morning to give 'em a bit of a drink, aiming for 1 to 2 inches of water per week.
Now that we've taken care of the water situation, it's time to give your established beds some TLC. Toss 'em a layer of compost to act as a natural fertilizer, and top it off with a layer of mulch to keep weeds at bay. Doin' this now gives you a chance to breathe and scope out each section of your garden, to see what needs a bit 'a weeding, has pests, or has plants that might've been lost in the winter cold spell.
Shrubs, Trees and Vines
Several shrubs have bloom phases in spring, like lilacs and forsythia. Once they've had their moment in the sun, go ahead and prune 'em back. In some cases, like lilacs, prunin' now might even trigger a second bloom later in the season. Your garden'll look a whole lot neater this way, and you'll save yourself a fall task!
Now's a great time to give new woody shrubs and trees new homes. These little beauties will thrive in the mild weather, and the ground should still be soft from the winter rains. Speak to your friendly garden center folk for info on what fertilizer is best for the trees ya got there.
Remember, never underestimate the power of clean tools! Carry diluted bleach or Lysol with ya when you're out tinkerin', cleanin' your pruners between plants to prevent the spread of viruses, fungi, and diseases.
Don't forget about perennial vines, like clematis, roses, and honeysuckle. Wake 'em from their slumber and gently tie 'em back to their trellises as they climb.
Annual Flowers
At last, it's time to see some bright pops of color in our gardens! Flick through the garden center racks, and you'll find annuals aplenty, including petunias, lobelia, marigolds, and begonias. May is the perfect time to get 'em in the ground. But remember, be patient, be patient! Wait till you're past the frost risk before yankin' 'em outta their cozy pots. Annuals provide a much-needed burst of color in the space between perennials bloomin', and they're just right for window boxes and planters, where they might struggle to winterize.
Feel free to liven up your hanging baskets too! The exposure's a bit tough for annuals to handle in winter, so they often don't make it through to spring. Make sure the beds ya plant 'em in have a slow-release fertilizer like Osmacote, and they'll be drinkin' deeply through the summer.
Perennial Flowers
Tulips are nothin' but memories now, but don't waste those foliage leftovers! Let 'em rot in the ground, 'cause that foliage helps the bulbs build energy for next year's bloom. Once the foliage yellows, feel free to divide or move the bulbs. If you missed the April plantin' party, fret not! You still got time to divide your existing perennials, as long as the ground's still willin'!
Dig around your garden, and you might find a few plants ready to be divided. If you wanna see 'em bloom this summer, get this task done in May. As you plant, make sure you're usin' slow-release fertilizer in the ground.
May's a great time to hit up the "sad plant shelf" at your local store. You'll find deep discounts on plants that ain't lookin' their best. Don't pity 'em too much, 'cause they'll be bloomin' beautiful next year! Delphiniums and agastache are my favorite finds to give a second chance.
Now's also the time to check in on your roses. Give 'em a spring fertilizer and a bit of a shape-up, and watch out for signs of stress or pests. Check with your garden center for the right treatment.
Vegetables
On to the good stuff! Gardeners everywhere are doing the gardens equivalent of standing in line at midnight for a concert ticket in anticipation of the perfect day to get their veggies in the ground. Here on the west coast, we're lookin' at Mother's Day for our lucky day, but in reality, you'll wanna wait for steady overnight temps above 50 degrees, regardless of where you live.
If you're unsure, hook up with a local gardening group, 'cause this is the main topic of conversation this time of year. Now's the time to "harden off" veggies like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants by gradually exposin' 'em to the outdoors.
Spring's the time to nurture perennial veggies like asparagus and artichokes. Harvest daily, takin' only spears bigger than your pinky, and once spears get thinner, let the plant rest for next year. Watch your artichoke plants for ants or aphid infestations, which can be sprayed off, but may return without further treatment like neem oil or trap flowers like nasturtiums.
By mid to late May, almost every region should be plantin' their warm-weather crops. That's right, we're talkin' tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, beans, corn, cucumbers, and more! Your beans and corn can be planted directly, but you'll get ahead with starts for the summer.
If you borrowed some space from the potato family earlier this spring, it's probably time to hill 'em up, now that those little sprouts are poppin' outta the ground.
Thin out your strawberry beds of runners and give 'em a dustin' of fertilizer. Strawberry plants struggle to focus their energy on both production and fruit, but ya gotta thin out the runners every spring to create bigger, juicier fruit. You can share the runners or plant 'em elsewhere.
Pest Control
Time to send the slimy creatures slitherin' off to the briny deep! Reduce snail and slug populations by settin' out traps and huntin' 'em down after dark. Doin' this now, as the rains ease off, will save ya headaches and potential plant-munchin' later this summer.
Hang pheromone traps in your fruit trees now, to control pests this summer and protect your hard earned fruit. You can thank me later!
Start by inspecting your garden's irrigation systems, ensuring there are no damaged lines or leaks. Once the water situation is under control, apply a layer of compost and mulch to your established beds as a natural fertilizer and weed preventive.
Since several spring-blooming shrubs like lilacs and forsythia have finished blooming, now is the ideal time to prune them for a neater and healthier garden. Additionally, it's a good opportunity to plant annual flowers, such as petunias, lobelia, marigolds, and begonias, which add vibrant color to the garden and can be grown in window boxes and planters.
